Welcome to bikehike.co.uk

This website is intended for anyone wanting to create or view routes on either Google or Ordnance Survey maps. Since the Ordnance Survey maps are limited to the United Kingdom, this site is primarily intended for UK users. Non-UK users may find it useful operating in single map mode (i.e. Google map + elevation data).

The great advantage of the Ordnance Survey maps (particularly the Landranger series) is the huge amount of detail they contain. Therefore mountain bikers and hikers can now create routes along byways, bridleways and footpaths. Roadies may also find it useful to see the added level of detail contained on the OS maps.

Features:

Simultaneous course creation on Google and Ordnance Survey maps.

Upload and download of routes to and from GPS units (GPX, TCX, KML and TRL formats).

Interactive elevation profile - hover or click on the elevation graph to see corresponding route point.

Toggle between elevation and gradient view on elevation graph.

UK postcode and place name search.

Auto routing on the Google map.

Add coursepoints to aid navigation.

Add points of interest to add information to routes.

Distance and elevation data continuously calculated for your route.

Course editing facilities - including Google style route dragging .

Printable courses on both Google and OS maps.

To start creating or viewing courses on the maps go to the course creator page by clicking the
course creator link above.

Any issues, suggestions or other feedback, please contact me at:

Absolutely no obligation at all - but if you'd like to make a small donation towards the costs of running the site, all donations gratefully received.

History:

Dec 2018: Updates

Updated to use my own route server for UK routes and OpenRouteService for non-UK routing.
Big thanks to my web hosts (mythic-beasts.com) for making this possible.

Postcode search now working again - again using OpenRouteService. Note - needs a space between the two parts of the UK postcode!

Sept 2018: Google Usage Changes

As you may be aware, Google has changed its usage model and is now charging for its services (with a free USD200 credit per month).
This site generates enough traffic that the costs would be significant and not sustainable.
Therefore, I'm planning to move to predominantly using OSM maps.
At the moment there's a temporary fix to default to OSM maps - more changes to come.

May 2014: Changed OSM Routing Provider

The previous OSM routing provider (Cloudmade) withdrew their free service. Now using MapQuest for OSM routing and non-UK elevation data. The option of adding coursepoints automatically is not working yet.

Updated to display the Bing OS maps when the Ordnance Survey tile limit is reached - so OS maps will be available for longer.
Note - the Bing maps also have limits so these will run out too. However, Bing map usage is limited by session (not tile count) so, once you have a Bing map session, don't close it until you are sure you are finished with it.
The Bing maps include the 1:25K maps.

April 2012: Added Elevation Data Resampling

Added option (in options window) to resample elevation data if the uploaded elevation data is missing or incorrect or the elevation web service was not available when orginally creating the route. The resampling runs with greater timeouts so should be more reliable - although slower.

May 2011: Added Option to Disable Scrollwheel Zoom

Added option to disable the scrollwheel zoom for users with the Apple Magic Mouse (or similar) where scrollwheel zooming is too sensitive.

Mar 2011: Added FIT File Upload

Added .fit file upload for Garmin 500, 800 etc.

Feb 2011: Improved Elevation Graph

Hovering over elevation graph now shows a route marker at the corresponding point on the route. Also displays distance and elevation at that point.

Nov 2010: Add Open Street Map (Cloudmade) Routing Algorithm

Added the option to use either the Google or Open Street Map (Cloudmade) routing algorithm when creating a route in Follow Road mode. If you select the OSM routing algorithm and select walking or cycling mode the route will follow footpaths, bridleways and byways (where they exist on the OSM map).

May 2010: Added Route Merging

Added route merging. This allows you to join two routes. Use the Merge Route button in the Options box to merge. See help here.

April 2010: Added KML Download

Added KML upload and download option.

Feb 2010: Updates

Added the ability to load routes from external sites via a URL. If you have routes hosted on your club website or personal webpages you can create links to them with a URL like this:http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://mysite.co.uk/route1.gpx
(Of course you'll need to substitute your own site name and route names.)

Clicking on a link like this will open the route on the map screen. Supports tcx, gpx, kml and trl routes.

Jan 2010: Closure of Route Database

I have received legal advice that, in spite of any disclaimer on this site, there is no guarantee against possible litigation as a result of having routes assessible via this website.

As a private individual I am not prepared to expose myself to this risk (however small) and therefore have reluctantly taken the decision to close the bikehike route database.

The route database has now been closed. Please email me if you want a copy of your routes.

I apologise for the inconvenience caused. I hope you can appreciate the reasons.

Sept 2009: Updates

Added an option to display search results on screen. Choose the "display on screen" option in the search window. Hover over a route marker to see a preview, click on a route marker to load the route.

August 2009: Updates

Added a route delete option. Use the "Find My Routes" search option and click the Delete checkbox in the results table to delete a route.

Finally revised the elevation graph to swap units when the distance units are changed.

June 2009: Updates

Added the OpenStreetMap cycle map as an map type option on the google map. This is a topographical map that emphasises cycle routes particularly the National, Regional and Local cycle routes. Unfortunately the coverage can be a little patchy in places, although everyone is welcome to add to the map to improve coverage - see here.

May 2009: Updates

Added choice of portrait or landscape mode for the printscreen.

Finding routes has been revised so that clicking on the Find Routes button will give you the results of your previous search (if you have done one). If you want to start a new search, click Cancel in the results window and click Find Routes again.

Revised so coursepoints are now downloaded in GPX tracks and routes (as waypoints).

April 2009: Updates

Added GPXX download option for Garmin 705 users. This uses the Garmin proprietary GPXX extensions to allow you to use SatNav type navigation without the 100 waypoint limit. Update - feedback from users is that there is no difference between using a GPX track and a GPXX route on a 705. Please let me know if you think differently.

Jan 2009: Updates

Revised to collect elevation data if an uploaded course does not include elevation.

Added trackpoint reduction facility (see options window). This will allow owners of GPS units with limited trackpoint memory (e.g. Gekos) to thin down routes to fit the available trackpoint memory.

Added coursepoints - both manual and automatic. Select between auto and manual mode in the options window. Note - coursepoints are hidden when zoomed out to prevent clutter.

Dec 2008: Updates

Enabled double click zoom on the Google map. Only enabled when there is no route plotted; as soon as you begin plotting a route the double click zoom is disabled.

Added an option to download your course as a GPX track (previously GPX courses were downloaded as GPX routes). Note - Garmin Edge & Forerunner users should still use TCX downloads if you want to do 'breadcrumb' navigation.

Nov 2008: Updates

Added Options dialogue box. At the moment this allows you to select the mode of the Google Follow Road routing algorithm, i.e. avoid highways, walking or driving modes.

Added print option. This opens a new window based on the current large map which can then be printed using the browser's print facility.

Oct 2008: Updates

Added facility to upload directly from a Garmin GPS device. As with the direct downloads this only works with Garmin GPS units and requires you to have installed the Garmin Communicator Plugin - see here.

Sept 2008: Updates

Revised to use local elevation data for the majority of the UK rather than the GeoNames server (which is often overloaded). This will make elevation data requests for the UK much quicker and more reliable. Local elevation data covers pretty much the land area covered by the OS maps.

Added facility to download directly to a Garmin GPS device. This requires you to install the Garmin Communicator Plugin - see here.

Improved timeout handling on elevation data requests. This should speed up the completion of elevation data requests when the GeoNames server is unavailable.

Revised downloaded GPX file to be compliant with the GPX 1.1 spec. This is necessary to be able to load the GPX file into Mapsource.

July 2008: Updates

Added Register and Log on facility. If you are logged on when you save a route to the database, it will become your route. You can subsequently search for your routes - and then edit them and resave them. However, there is no compulsion to register - you can still use the site as before without being logged on.

If you have previously created routes that you now want to be the owner of, please drop me an email with your user name and the ids of your routes and I will set it up.

Corrected vector rendering issue that was preventing the OS route from displaying in Firefox 3 and Safari browsers.

June 2008: Updates

Added drag editing - including Google style route dragging. There's a couple of modes of operation and one potential pitfall - see help here.

Go to Start and Go to End buttons combined into a single button to make way for the Drag Edit Mode button.

Save to database revised such that multiple saves of the same route name in the same session will just update the route. Previously separate copies with the same name were saved.

May 2008: Updates

Added option to switch between elevation and gradient on the elevation graph.

Revised so that clicking on top of the path in the Google map now works as expected. Previously that click would be ignored.

Added a filter on the total ascent and descent calculations. These were previously over reporting.

Added route link to Find Route results window so you can retrieve the link for any route.

Added text file download option.

April 2008: Updates

Added support for uploading tracklog (trl) files. Only the XML tracklog files (v3) are supported - not the older binary format (v2). Note - while developing the tracklog importer I found an issue with tracklog files that are converted to GPX using GPSBabel - see FAQ item here.

19th April 2008: Bikehike.co.uk launched.

Tested on IE6, IE7 and Firefox running on a Windows PC. There were initially problems running on the Safari browser - these should be corrected now.